SAHM: I want to get out

With two naps and 6 different feedings(3bottles & 3 solids) a day it is so hard to get very to leave the house to go anywhere. If I do get out I don't travel far from the house. I feel trapped. Do any other SAHM feel this way? What do you do to get out? Miss a nap or stretch time between feedings? I fear a melt down if I do. I am also a FTM

Comments (29)

I understand how you feel. I'm a SAHM too and it is hard to get out of the house sometimes even with one! Just plan an outing around your schedule the best you can and you may be surprised to find that your baby will do better than you think. My first was a stickler for his routine, but he surprised me time and again that he could be flexible when we were out and about or spending the night somewhere else, etc. The change of scenery is often enough to keep them occupied and they can forget that they are a little sleepy or hungry for a little while at least.

Something that might work is to feed a snack or a bottle right when LO gets up from a nap, and then leave ASAP afterwards. You should have at least a 2 hour chunk of time before another nap or a snack is needed. Just be sure that your diaper bag is loaded with a pacifier, bottle, diapers & wipes, extra clothes and at least one favorite toy. Don't forget a snack and a bottle of water for yourself! It takes practice, but you'll get it! Both you and your baby will enjoy it immensely.

I was like that with my first too! I was terrified that if I went off schedule the world would end! Now that I have 2, there are times when I HAVE to get out so my 3 yo can do things.
To get out with my ods, I would go right when he would wake up from morning nap. That way he'll stay awake for a solid hour of a trip to the store and back without messing with naps :) Same thing after the afternoon nap, then I just wouldn't drive anywhere after 5-6pm .

What helps me is I nurse and give solids at the same time for breakfast and lunch. He nurses on one side, eats his food, then nurses on the other side. That gives me four hours until he needs to eat again.
As for naps, I make sure we are home for both naps, ideally, but he does fine taking one on the go in his carseat or stroller.
In the morning we will do breakfast and play at home until morning nap time. Then I pop him in the carseat and letter him nap while we drive to our outing. It usually takes me 20-30 minutes to drive places and then i will often sit in the car for an extra 10-20 minutes to make sure he has gotten a decent cat nap. Being out fascinates him, so he is usually distracted enough to be happy for 2-3 hours.
He does like his schedule, but I can still get out a lot. We do at least one outing every day.

--

A man and a woman had a little baby: S arrived 2/21/12And now we're expecting another:Looking foward to meeting our "Pumpkin Pie" due 11/08/14

Yes. I do solids and bottles seperate. I do them an hour a part. That is probably the big issue with timing. I need to change that and do them together. He had barfed when I have tried that in the past..I think to stomach overload